Asking a Jew to Work on Shabbat

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Prohibition

  1. Just as observant Jews do not violate Shabbat, they equally have a responsibility to prevent other Jews from violating Shabbat when it is in their control. Asking a Jew to do work is a more serious transgression than asking a non-Jew, as it causes someone who is obligated to keep Shabbat to violate it. By asking a fellow Jew to violate Shabbat, the requester violates "Lifnei Iver lo Titen Michshal" - the issur forbidding a Jew to cause another Jew to violate a law he is obligated in. [1]
  2. One should make sure neighbors one may sometimes ask favors from on Shabbat are in fact not Jewish and not merely not religious. [2]

Practical cases

Asking them to do something you hold is forbidden

  1. Someone who holds that it’s forbidden to do a certain activity on Shabbat may not ask another Jew who holds that it’s permissible to do that activity on Shabbat. [3] However, some say that if one is only strict based on the minhag of his Rabbis or father one may ask someone who holds it’s permissible. [4]
  2. It is forbidden to have one's young child do any violation of Shabbat such as turning on a light. [5]
  3. If a child turns on a light on his own and for his own benefit, there's room to be lenient to benefit from that violation of Shabbat. [6]

Yom Tov Sheni

  1. For whether someone holding two days of Yom Tov can ask a Jew who is only keep one day to do work for him, see Asking an Israeli do Melacha on Yom Tov Sheni

Giving directions to a non-observant Jewish driver

  1. This issue becomes extremely complex because while one does not want to encourage driving on Shabbat, one also does not one to be rude and cause the driver to drive more unnecessarily looking for his destination. In such a situation, it advised to respond "It is Shabbat and one may not drive on Shabbat. However, so as to minimize your Shabbat transgression, the shortest route is as follows..."[7]

Sources

  1. ↑ 39 Melachos (Rabbi Ribiat; vol 1, pg 91, footnote 354)
    • Radvaz 4:258 explains that there should be a problem of Amira LiYisrael, which should be no more allowed than asking a non-Jew.
  2. ↑ EVERY HALACHA ON HALACHIPEDIA STRICTLY REQUIRES A SOURCE. PLEASE ADD SOURCE HERE, OTHERWISE THIS HALACHA WILL BE REMOVED.
  3. ↑ The 39 Melachos (Rabbi Ribiat, vol 1, pg 93) writes that it’s forbidden to ask a fellow Jew to open a can or bottle for him on Shabbat if the one requesting holds that one is forbidden to do so. He supports this with Sh”t Igrot Moshe 4:119:5. Many poskim also forbid including Tal Imrati (18:11, pg 190) quoting Chacham Ben Tzion Abba Shaul, Yalkut Yosef (Shabbat, vol 3, pg 217-9) quoting Rav Ovadyah Yosef, Banim Chavivim (Siman 18, pg 91) quoting Rabbi Eliezer Waldenburg (from Meor HaShabbat (vol 1, Peninei HaMeor pg 552)) and Rav Chaim Kanievsky (from Meor HaShabbat (vol 2, pg 77)). Rav Yisrael Belsky in Shulchan HaLevi (vol 1, Birur Halacha 10, pg 339) also rules stringently and gives four reasons.
    • (1) Shelichut LeDvar Avierah. In the Gemara Bava Metsia 10b there is a dispute between Ravina and Rami Bar Chama regarding Shaliach LeDvar Avierah. Ravina holds that there’s only Ein Shaliach LeDvar Avierah when the one being sent is obligated in that prohibition, while Rami Bar Chama says that there’s Ein Shaliach LeDvar Avierah whenever the one being sent has the ability to choose to do it or not. The Rama C”M 182:1 rules like Ravina and so if the one being sent isn’t obligated then there is Shelichut. Rav Belsky concludes that since the one being sent follows a Rabbi who holds it’s permissible to open a bottle he’s considered not obligated in that prohibition and there would be Shelichut. Thus, if he is asked by someone who doesn’t open the bottle there would be a Deoritta violation of Shabbat.
    • (2) Lifnei Iver. Rav Belsky writes that since the opinion of those who hold it is forbidden is that it is forbidden for all Jews it would be forbidden to ask another Jew because of Lifnei Iver.
    • (3) Amirah LeYisrael. He quotes the Radvaz 4:258 who forbids Amirah LeYisrael because it should be no better than Amirah LeNochri.
    • (4) Degrading one’s friend. By asking one’s friend to do something which one holds is forbidden is treating him like a Shabbos goy or a less important Jew.
    • Rav Belsky concludes that it’s forbidden to ask him to open the bottle and it would be just as forbidden to ask him to open it for himself to drink because all the reasons apply except (perhaps) the first one. Though, he agrees that if the one who holds it is permissible opened it for himself it is permissible for others to benefit from the contents of the bottle.
  4. ↑ Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Meor HaShabbat (Peninei HaMoer 3:8)) rules that if the one requesting holds it’s forbidden based on his ruling, then, it’s forbidden to ask someone who holds it’s permitted to do it for him, however, if the one requesting is only strict because of the minhag of his Rabbis or father, then it’s permitted to ask someone else to do that act.
  5. ↑ Rabbi Hershel Schachter (OU Kosher Webcast, min 18-19) rules that this is a biblical violation of Shabbat.
  6. ↑ Rabbi Hershel Schachter (OU Kosher Webcast, min 18-19) says that there's room to be lenient since the child is like mitasek and if he did it for himself then it's not forbidden from benefit like a non-Jew who did work for himself.
  7. ↑ 39 Melachos (Rabbi Ribiat, v. 1). See, however, Yalkut Yosef.
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